11-12-2023 (WSHINGTON) In a stern rebuke, the United States has called on Beijing to halt its “dangerous and destabilising” actions in the disputed South China Sea, prompted by a collision between a Philippine boat and a China Coast Guard ship near a contested reef. The incident, occurring during a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, marks the latest clash in the contentious maritime region.
Blame-trading ensued between both nations after the collision, which took place a day after a separate incident near Scarborough Shoal. According to a statement from U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, Chinese ships engaged in “water cannons and reckless manoeuvres, including forcing a collision,” causing damage to Philippine vessels on official supply missions and endangering the safety of Filipino crew members.
Miller further highlighted actions at Scarborough Shoal, where Chinese ships utilized acoustic devices, incapacitating Filipino crew members and driving away Philippine fishing vessels. These actions, he asserted, demonstrate a “reckless disregard for the safety and livelihoods of Filipinos” and a violation of international law.
Amid long-standing tensions between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea, recent months have witnessed multiple incidents involving Philippine and Chinese vessels, including two prior collisions. China’s expansive claims over the entire South China Sea, including territories near its neighbors, have been a source of contention, with the country ignoring a 2016 international tribunal ruling declaring its assertions as legally baseless.
Miller emphasized that the tribunal’s decision is “final and legally binding on the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and the Philippines.” The U.S. called on China to abide by the ruling and cease its “dangerous and destabilising conduct.”
Reiterating support for its Philippine allies, Miller underscored that the mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea, including those of its Coast Guard.
The Philippines reported that one of its boats was “rammed” by China in Sunday’s incident. However, China’s coast guard accused the Philippine boat of “deliberately colliding” after disregarding “multiple stern warnings.”
As tensions escalate, relations between Manila and Beijing have strained under President Ferdinand Marcos, who seeks to strengthen ties with traditional ally Washington and push back against Chinese actions in the South China Sea.
